Bournemouth and Poole council chiefs given £130k to tackle rogue landlords

BOURNEMOUTH and Poole council chiefs have been handed more than £130,000 in a bid to tackle rogue landlords.

The two councils have been given £134,000 from the government following a joint bid to help fund work targeting landlords who are guilty of not managing their properties properly and protecting tenants.

Cllr Robert Lawton, Bournemouth’s cabinet member for housing, said: “More needs to be done to clamp down on those landlords that are known to be operating across the area, who are sub-letting poorly-managed and often overcrowded properties to vulnerable tenants and foreign nationals.

“This successful bid will mean that we can increase our targeted work to raise standards in the private rented sector and where necessary we will prosecute those landlords flouting the law.”

The cash funding will be used to:

Gather further intelligence on the rogue landlords to determine how they are operating.

Take action against those landlords whose properties are poorly managed in terms of property conditions and where landlords treat tenants badly, such as illegal evictions or not returning deposits.

Take formal action, including prosecuting the worst landlords to improve conditions for tenants.

Raise awareness of how tenants can access support and advice about their rights when renting a property and encourage those who might be afraid to complain, to seek help.

Cllr Karen Rampton, portfolio holder for health, wellbeing and housing at Borough of Poole, added: “Landlords that are acting in this way are exploiting vulnerable tenants who are unaware of their rights.

“This funding will provide additional resources to help fully investigate these complex cases enabling us to prosecute the worst offenders.

“Action such as this will help promote awareness for vulnerable tenants and their rights and also send out a warning to other landlords who think it is acceptable to operate in this way.”

There are around 19,000 privately-rented properties across Bournemouth and about 9,300 in Poole.

Both Bournemouth Borough Council and Borough of Poole signed up to charity Shelter’s ‘Evict Rogue Landlords’ campaign last summer, pledging their commitment to tackling rogue landlords in the area.

For other housing advice, including illegal evictions and withheld deposits, tenants can call Shelter’s advice line on 08445 151401 or 01202 451467 in Bournemouth and 01202 633804 in Poole, asking for housing options.

Comments

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.Azphreal

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

Score: 8

we-shall-see
11:01am Sat 18 Jan 14

Azphreal wrote…

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

I think that's the point of this report - now they DO have the money to deal with it …….

[quote][p][bold]Azphreal[/bold] wrote:
What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.[/p][/quote]I think that's the point of this report - now they DO have the money to deal with it …….we-shall-see

Azphreal wrote…

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

I think that's the point of this report - now they DO have the money to deal with it …….

Score: -1

kalebmoledirt
12:22pm Sat 18 Jan 14

Surely there is already someone in place to over see where housing benefits are going?.£130,000 will buy quite a few tents to house the tenants that will have to move out of overcrowded flats.stand by for the debate of where the tented city will spring up

Surely there is already someone in place to over see where housing benefits are going?.£130,000 will buy quite a few tents to house the tenants that will have to move out of overcrowded flats.stand by for the debate of where the tented city will spring upkalebmoledirt

Surely there is already someone in place to over see where housing benefits are going?.£130,000 will buy quite a few tents to house the tenants that will have to move out of overcrowded flats.stand by for the debate of where the tented city will spring up

Score: 0

Bob49
2:10pm Sat 18 Jan 14

Azphreal wrote…

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

Exactly

All this will do will be to allow the council to tick a few boxes and say that something is being done whilst ironing out the worst excesses which might bring bad publicity to this scam.

As long as the council willingly hand over maximum rent for scummy slums the landlords will go looking for the kind of tenants who will accept these places.

Landlords fill their pockets and leave the rest of us to pick up the bill for having any number of folk with drink and drug problems ... and the consequent problems.

[quote][p][bold]Azphreal[/bold] wrote:
What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.[/p][/quote]Exactly
All this will do will be to allow the council to tick a few boxes and say that something is being done whilst ironing out the worst excesses which might bring bad publicity to this scam.
As long as the council willingly hand over maximum rent for scummy slums the landlords will go looking for the kind of tenants who will accept these places.
Landlords fill their pockets and leave the rest of us to pick up the bill for having any number of folk with drink and drug problems ... and the consequent problems.Bob49

Azphreal wrote…

What a joke,even when they know about landlords who have people in properties like this they hardly do a thing,Bournemouth council would be stuffed without private landlords.

Exactly

All this will do will be to allow the council to tick a few boxes and say that something is being done whilst ironing out the worst excesses which might bring bad publicity to this scam.

As long as the council willingly hand over maximum rent for scummy slums the landlords will go looking for the kind of tenants who will accept these places.

Landlords fill their pockets and leave the rest of us to pick up the bill for having any number of folk with drink and drug problems ... and the consequent problems.

Score: 1

muscliffman
4:02pm Sat 18 Jan 14

So we should ask how much of this £130k will end up to little useful effect in the pockets of the Councils' usual favoured specialist lawyers, specialist consultants and the like.

Around £130k perhaps?

So we should ask how much of this £130k will end up to little useful effect in the pockets of the Councils' usual favoured specialist lawyers, specialist consultants and the like.
Around £130k perhaps?muscliffman

So we should ask how much of this £130k will end up to little useful effect in the pockets of the Councils' usual favoured specialist lawyers, specialist consultants and the like.

Around £130k perhaps?

Score: 4

politicaltrainspotter
4:15pm Sat 18 Jan 14

It's not a lot of money to the reality of the issue.It a case of the 'same old, same old.' I'm afraid.

How much would investigating and officers time cost ?

How much would court fee's cost ?

It's not a lot of money to the reality of the issue.It a case of the 'same old, same old.' I'm afraid.
How much would investigating and officers time cost ?
How much would court fee's cost ?politicaltrainspotter

It's not a lot of money to the reality of the issue.It a case of the 'same old, same old.' I'm afraid.

How much would investigating and officers time cost ?

How much would court fee's cost ?

Score: 3

UrbanCrab
2:50am Mon 20 Jan 14

The council are simply not interested in exposing this, the money will go to little practical use.

The council are simply not interested in exposing this, the money will go to little practical use.UrbanCrab

The council are simply not interested in exposing this, the money will go to little practical use.

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